County sues Church of Universal Love and Music after drugs raid

Fayette sues for funds in church suit deal

Fayette County [Pennsylvania] officials hope to recover $75,000 the county paid to settle a civil rights case involving the Universal Church of Love and Music, where a drug raid netted 23 arrests over the weekend.

KDKA, CBS report on the drugs raid

The settlement, approved in March by U.S. District Chief Judge Donetta W. Ambrose, was supposed to end a lawsuit in which the non-traditional, non-denominational church claimed religious discrimination against the county for failing to issue it a special exception permit to hold its concerts on church property.

The county, however, argues in a motion filed yesterday in federal court that the church, which includes a campground and concert venue, violated the agreement by permitting drug use at the facility, which was specifically prohibited in the 12-page settlement.
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23 arrested in drug raid at Church of Universal Love and Music

“Funk Fest” became one big bust this weekend at the Church of Universal Love and Music.

The Fayette County Drug Task Force conducted a drug raid this weekend on the self-proclaimed nondenominational church’s 147-acre property in Bullskin. It resulted in the arrests of 23 people and the seizure of enough marijuana, hash brownies, hallucinogenic mushrooms, LSD, laughing gas and drug paraphernalia to pack two storage trailers with a capacity of about 3,000 pounds, District Attorney Nancy Vernon said Sunday.

Dozens of bags, boxes and plastic cases containing contraband were on display at a news conference.
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The raid began about 5 p.m. Saturday at the site where church founder and property owner William “Willie” Pritts received clearance from county officials to resume holding concerts.

During a lengthy property dispute that began in 2005 and ended this year, Pritts, the members of the church and many of those attending concerts there argued that their form of religious worship entails listening to bands.

This was the fifth concert at the site since Pritts dropped a religious-freedom lawsuit against the county, which had claimed the group’s concerts violated zoning laws.
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• The Church of Universal Love and Music

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